Auto Club Speedway will join several other tracks across the nation that will welcome “Magic of Lights” for the Christmas season. The 1.5-mile drive-through, in the area that serves as the Fan Zone during race weekends, will feature more than 400 LED displays and digital animations.

It will be open to the public starting today at 5:30 p.m and will remain up through the end of the year.

The public will get a close-up look at the sparkling displays depicting favorite characters of the season from the comfort of their cars. The festive route through the Fan Zone will take 20 to 30 minutes. Proceeds from the tour will benefit CityLink-Water of Life Community Church, a Fontana-based non-profit.

“True to form, Auto Club Speedway continues to find ways provide family-fun entertainment to area residents. We’re excited to partner with Fun Guys on the Magic of Lights that will not doubt become a holiday tradition for the Inland Empire,” said Dave Allen, speedway president. “We hope everyone has the opportunity to come out and enjoy the holiday atmosphere.

“This partnership with CityLink will make a positive impact on many lives right here in own our backyard. Every guest that attends the Magic of Lights experience is giving back to their local community and helping someone in need.”

It has taken 10 workers more than a month to construct 10 miles of steel for the project. The displays are as high as 30 feet and some are several hundred feet in length. The heart of the attraction is a 2000-foot tunnel — Enchanted Tunnel of Lights — that contains tens of thousand of the 10-colored blubs, showing sparkling lights in every direction.

ACS joins sister track Michigan International Speedway with the display. Other tracks with similar displays include Daytona and Gateway Motorsports Park outside St. Louis, The Magic of Lights will also be on display at Jones Beach State Park, Wantagh, N.Y. and Victory Park Ohio, North Ridgeville OH. The display will also be seen in Canada at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton and Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa.

“Magic of Lights is going to be a great addition to our already busy event calendar and provide a wonderful new family holiday tradition for the local community,” said Chip Wile, president of the Daytona track. “The event provides an iconic setting to celebrate the holiday season and gives back to all of us through its charitable mission.”

The display will be open Sunday through Thursday from 5:30-to-9 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, the hours are 5:30-to-10 p.m.

The cost per car is $25 at the gate, although passes purchased in advance are $20. For those wishing to skip the line, a dash pass is $45 ($40 in advance). RVs, limos and buses will have a different price, ranging from $40 to $100.

Turkey Night

Ventura Speedway will host the 76th running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix on Thanksgiving Thursday, the second of two nights of racing. Drivers from all disciplines from across the country have entered the event, including defending champion and NASCAR Cup standout Kyle Larson.

The traditional Thanksgiving event started in 1937 and has been featured at nine venues throughout Southern California since. This will be the event’s third appearance at Ventura. Ascot Park in Gardena was the long-time home of the event, including a stretch of 14 years until the track closed in 1990.

Among the famous drivers who have won the race are A.J. Foyt (1960-61), Parnelli Jones (1964) and Tony Stewart (2000). NASCAR’s Christopher Bell won in 2014 while Larson’s first victory came in 2012 at Perris Auto Speedway. Ron Shuman is the all-time win leader with eight, achieved from 1979 to 1993.

Billy Boat, the former IndyCar driver whose son Chad will be in the field, scored a record three consecutive wins at three tracks (1995-1997).

Redemption for Long

Manhattan Beach Porsche driver Patrick Long ended the 2017 Pirelli World Challenge much better than a year ago at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. He entered the season-finale at Sonoma Raceway with the Sprint, SprintX and Overall titles within reach.

At day’s end, Long drove his No. 58 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R to the overall title. In 19 GT Sprint and SprintX events, Long scored four wins, six runner-ups and three third-place finishes for the Overall title over Cadillac’s Michael Cooper, the SprintX champion. In 2011, Long won the GT title.

Long led Wright Motorsports to the GT team victory and Porsche to the Manufacturers crown.

“I’m very proud to close out the Sprint Championship and the team championship,” said Long, 35. “For the fans, with multiple championships, it was important to capitalize on trying to secure as many championships as possible to leave a stamp on 2017 after quite an eventful 2016. My second championship has been a bit of a long wait but certainly it’s much sweeter because the PWC championship has a ton of factory teams and drivers in it.

“It really is evolving and it’s a proud moment for me to race against some of these guys that have huge CVs and respect internationally in sportscars.”

Memories of 2016 helped guide Long in the last race.

“I made a decision to play it a little bit safe through the mid-race and let the doors stay open for me in the last weekend this time,” he said. “Any given Sunday you can have a different winner and I think that’s unique for Pirelli World Challenge. I love being here. I’ve raced a lot of different championships for Porsche and I really have found a home here. To be a champion overall, it’s been a long wait since we had our last championship.”

Pit stops

* Pro Stock racer Tanner Gray and Tom McKernan were accorded with honors Monday night at the traditional NHRA awards ceremony. Tanner was named the Auto Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award winner and presented $20,000 prize for being selected the sport’s top rookie performer of the year. “It’s feels good to win the award,” Gray said. “Our season could have always been better, but I am really proud of what my team has accomplished. For someone who has never drag raced, I was able to come out here and win with the hard work, dedication and effort from my entire team. They definitely made the learning curve easier and not as steep as it could have been. I owe this award to them.” McKernan, the former chief executive officer for the Auto Club, was selected as the recipient of the Don Prudhomme Award, presented to an individual who hamade a profound impact on the growth and image of drag racing.

* The King of the Wing National Sprint Car Series returns to Irwindale Speedway Saturday. They are the fastest cars to compete on the half-mile, turning in laps quicker than 13 seconds. Also on the card will be Super Stocks and a Figure 8 Race. Why so fast? According to the track, it’s about “huge high wings, super-powerful V-8 motors pulling 900 horsepower, ultra lightweight frames, titanium bolts, carbon fiber bodywork, the widest tires in circle track racing, and some determined drivers.” Gates will open at 4 p.m., with an autograph session set for 5:45 and the green flag to fall at 7.

* The USAC California Lightning Sprint Car Series will close its season Saturday night with its biggest race of the year at Bakersfield Speedway. Also on the card will be the USAC National & Western Midgets, Hobby Stocks and Mini Stocks. Aside from CLS regulars, cars are expected from Northern California’s BCRA. Plus, Andy Bradley of Bloomington. Ind., second in the national championship standings, will make his California debut in a car owned by four-time CLS champion Bobby Michnowicz. Michnowicz is after his fourth straight title, and fifth overall and has a 58-point advantage over Jarrett Kramer. Second year CLS star Aiden Lange, the only other driver with a mathematical chance of catching Michnowicz, is third and trails the leader by 75-points. Cody Nigh and rookie Dominic Del Monte round out the top five.

* Auto Club Famoso Raceway, located outside Bakersfield, will open and close the 2018 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series. The series, in its 11th season, includes classes for front engine dragsters, altereds and gassers, and is highlighted by the nitro burning Nostalgia Top Fuel Dragsters and Nostalgia Funny Cars. The traditional March meet will open the season on March 1-4 while the California Hot Rod Reunion will finish the year on Oct. 19-21.

* Three sportsmen drag racers from Southern California scored Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series victories at the NHRA Auto Club Finals on Sunday, and another was second. Ontario’s Bobby Dye won Super Comp against Tanner Theobald of Saint George, Utah. They left the line together with Dye running 8.904 on the 8.90 index for the win. Steve Parsons of Ridgecrest took Super Gas when Mike Wiblishouser of Laveen, Ariz., left early with a red light. Parsons ran it out to a 9.895, 171.62 in his ’63 Corvette. In alcohol Funny Car, John Lombardo of Brea grabbed his third win of the year with a hole shot, knocking out Annie Whiteley, crossing the finish line in 5.420 seconds, 271.41 mph to the quicker Whiteley at 5.417, 273.22. Julie Nataas of Santa Barbara was second to Shawn Cowie of Surrey, B.C., in alcohol dragster, Nataas was out first but Cowie quickly made up the difference and raced to a 5.272 , 274.72 lap. Nataas qualified No. 1 with a 5.115, 280.49 mph lap but slowed in the final clocking in at 5.481, 272.50.

* The West Coast Short Track Championships Saturday night will close the season at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Action will feature the Southwest Tour Series, Lucas Oil Modified Series and USAC HPD Midgets Series, with racing starting at 5 p.m. The 3/8-mile paved oval will start with the first of two Lucas Oil Modifieds feature segments, a 50-lap stretch, and continues with a 40-lap Jr. Late Models race. The Lucas Oil Modifieds will then finish their night with a 50-lap feature segment that will decide the race winner, and the Southwest Tour Series’ 125-lap feature serves as the evening’s nightcap.

Lou Brewster is a nationally recognized motorsports journalist who has staffed NASCAR and NHRA events since 1969. Has also staffed high school football, in five different states, since 1967. Has won several national awards in writing and breaking news.